Car door elevating mechanism



Feb. 21, 1933. T MADLAND CAR DOOR ELEVATING MECHANISM Filed June ll, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l EL. 'l

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Feb. 21, 1933. T. MADLAND 1,898,583

CAR DOOR ELEVATINGMECHANISM Filed June 11, 1931 2 sheets-sheet 2 .JA/VEN TO/e Zwem/o MHDLHND 5f" ma/@Alf HTTX Patented Feb. 21, 1933 :UNITaD STATES PAT-Enr rnonvennirnnrann, or CHICAGO," ILLINOIS, assienon'ro cAivr emesso, ILLINois,- A 'CORPORATION or ILLINoIs l carica i i ycan Doon'nIiEvArInqMEcHANIsM Application led June 11,

This invention relates to elevating mechanism for car doors. Y p

It is anobject of this invention to provide an elevating mechanism for car doors capable of Vbei-ng operated :with little effort tov lift said doors kfor supportupon ,rolling -means fonmovement toward .open andqclosed -positions and which, upon release, permit said .doors to gravitateto their normal or .lowered position., f f i YVith this and other obj ects inv view the invention comprisesthe novel constructions and combinations hereinafter described and more particularlypointed outand delined'in the appended claims. Y-

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation including a car door to which is applied an elevating mechanism embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlargedfragmentary elevation showing the right hand portion of the elevating mechanism, the door being in lowered position.

Figure 3 is a view similar toFigure 2, the door being in elevated position.

Figure 4 isa horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1. v

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 1. 1

Figure 7 is an enlarged end view of one of the operating cams utilized in the elevating mechanism.

Figure 8 is an enlarged elevationofthe cam illustrated in Figure 7, looking toward the right in said figure.

For the purpose of illustration the preferred structural embodiment of Jthe invention is shown assembled with a wood door 10. The vertical margins of the door are bound by the angular members 11 and 12, respectively, while the lower margin of the door is bound by the angular member 13. The upper margin of the door (not shown) is also provided` with a metallicbinding. The'invention may, of course, be utilized with doors other than the one illustrated.

In the normaler lowered positio-n of the door it is adapted to be supported frictional- 1981. serial Nat/43,551.

EL COMPANY, 0F @5 lyfupon ja tracki14, which is secured in proper i Y) shown in part in portion preferably flush with the inside sur- VLface of thedoor. The bva'ckin gfmember may be secured to the door in any desired manner. In the present embodiment, flanges 18 and 19 are formed on the backing member through which bolts or the like may extend in order to securesaid member to the door. The backing member is provided with an opening 2O adapted, ashere'inafter set forth, to serve las a bearing for a cam utilized in the elevating mechanism. v'Inf order to provide greater bearing `surface iny the backing member a separate plate 21 -is secured thereto and provided with an openingaligned with the opening formed in thebacking member.

. A cover plate 22, to which the backing member 17 is'secured by means of rivets 23, is adapted to be secured to the door by means of the sameV bolts which secure the backing member to the door.

The cover plate 22 is provided With an outwardly o'set portion 24 whichftogether with the backing member 17, provides' a socket adaptedlfor the reception'of afroller supporting member 25.v 'The cover plateand the backing member retain the roller supporting memberl in position for relative vertical movement with respect to the door; Rotatablymounted on the roller supporting member is aV roller126`which'preferably is in engagementwith the track 14 in all positions ef-the door. The roller supporting member is provided with an upwardly extending flange V27` adapted to have finterengagement with a depending fiange 28 formed on` the track in order to avoid disengagement of the lower portion of thedoor from the track.

The cover plate 22is providedwith an opening 29 in alignment with the openings formed in the backing member and the plate 21 secured thereto and, together withsaidlat- .position by means of fa pluralityof track'.V

of the drawings.

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ter openings, constitute bearings in which a ycam is adapted to be journaled. It is observed that the cam extends through the cover plate and is provided With a square shank 31 upon Which an operating lever 32 is mounted. The cam 30 embodies a pin or shaft 33 from which extends a finger-like projection 34. The cam is so mounted that the projection or finger 34 lies in engagement with the roller supporting member 25. The cam 30 is, additionally, provided With a depending 'lang-e 35 having a projection 36 extending therefrom. Because of the similarity of construction of the backing members, cover plates and cams utilized in the elevating mechanism the above description has been applied to one of each of said backing members, cover plates and cams.V It is to be understood, however, that this description is applicable as readily to the other similar members utilized. A bar 37 provided with openings through Which the projections 36 of the cams extend is utilized to effect simultaneous movement of the cams. This bar is preferably protected by means of a plate 38 riveted to the backing members and the cover plates by means of rivets 39. The contour of the plate 38 is such as to permit unimpeded movement of the bar 37. A

\ To move the door toward open or closed position the operating lever 32 is grasped and pulled downwardly. The operating lever is guided and retained in this movement by means of the member 40 secured to the door. Movement of the operating lever tends to impart to the cam to which it may be secured a movement of rotation in its bearings. The projection or finger 34 'providedv on the cam is, however, in engagement with the roller supporting member and in consequence thereof said member serves asa fulcrum for the finger or projection ofthe cam and eHects an elevating movement of that portion of the cam Which is journaled in the door. The door, consequently, Will be raised and the Weight thereof be'incident upon the rollers 26. The movement of the cam to which the operating lever is secured is imparted to the other cam'by means of the connecting bar 37. -When the Weight of the door has been placed upo-nv the rollers it may then be moved to ,any desired position. Y Changes and modifications of the structural details of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. All such changes and modifications are deemed to be comprehended Within the invention which is to be limited only bythe scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In combination, a sliding door, a track adapted to frictionally support said door, a pair of spaced roller supporting members adapted to lhave relative `vertical movement with respect to said door, a roller rotatably supported by each of said members in engagement with said track, a cover plate for each of said supporting members secured to said door, pins extending between and journaled in said door and the respective cover plates, a linger extending from'each of said pins and having abutment upon a roller supporting member, a flange depending from each of 'said pins, a bar connecting said flanges and means for operating'one'of'said pins.

, 2. In combination, a sliding Wooden door provided with a pair of spaced recesses, a. track adapted to lfrictionally support said door in its lowered position, a backing plate positioned in each of said recesses, a cover plate bridging each of said recesses,@roller supporting members retained in said recesses for vertical movement relative to said door, a roller rotatably supported by each of said members in engagement with said track, cams j ournaled in said backing'and coverplates in engagement with said roller supporting members, means connecting said cams for simultaneous movement and a lever carried by one of said cams whereby operation of said lever Will cause saidcams to ulcrum uponsaid supporting members to` elevate the door.

signed at chicago, nimoiathis sth day of I June, 1931. Y

THORVALD MADLAND. 

